Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-28
GENERAL p. Z. coNNoR.
Biographical sketch by n. II
Bancroft, the Pacific coast
HiRfnriRn.

early age he emigrated with his parents to
New York City, and there he received his
schooling.
Iu 1889, while the Florida war was in
progress, he entered the regular army, al
though but 10 years old. Five years later,
in November, 1874, the left the army, and
returning to New York, engaged in mercan-
tile pursuits.
Early in 1916, he removed to Texas, and,
as the Mexican war broke out in the same
year, joined regiment of Texas volunteers,
of which Albert Sidney Johnson was elected
Colonel. Young Conner, with the rank OF
Captain, was the second volunteer officer
mustered into service in this regiment. In
the course of the war, he was in the battles
of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma and
Buena Vista, and during the latter engage
ment was severely wounded. General Con-
ner bears the honorable distinction of being
the first officer wounded in the battle OF
Buena Vista; he received shot IN the left
hand with musket ball, but did not leave
the field. For this gallant conduct he was
given a full Captains pension. Soon after
the close of the Mexican war, Captain Con
nor left Texas, and passing through Mexico
reached California on January 22, 1850.
Shortly after his arrival great excitement
arose throughout the State over the discov-
cry of gold on Trinity River, which at that
time was generally supposed to empty into
the ocean-for the northern part of the
State was almost wholly unexplored then.
Believing this idea true one, Captain
Connor, in company with Iieutenants
Blunt, Baohe and Browning, of the navy,
organized party in March of that year for
the purpose of locating the mouth OF the
stream, and of founding a settlement there.
They chartered the brig Arabian, and sailed
north. After sighting Point st. George,
near where Crescent City now is, they dis
covered schooner, anchored, as they sup
posed, at the mouth of Trinity River, but as
there was light headwind, Captain Con-
nor's vessel made but slow progress.
Anxious to reach the point where the
schooner lay before dark, if possible, and
finding that the brig could not do so, Cap
tain Conner manned a whaleboat and
started for the place. Lieutenant Bache
acted as steersman, and he was accompa-
MED by Lieutenant Browning. The wind
increased, 80 that at length they decided to
head for the shore. They rode the first
breaker safely, but the second one struck
them in such way as to cause Lieutenant
Bache to lose control of the boat, which
preached to and upset, throwing its oc-
cupants into the water three-quarters of a
mile from shore. One of the sailors, who
probably was strcck and stunned by the
boat, never rose again. The remainder of
the party when they rose to the surface
olung to the boet, with the exception of
Lieutenant Browning, who at once swan
for the shore, and soon signalled back that
he had touched bar-fortunately it hap
pened to be low water. The Lieutenant
then continued on towards the beach, and
succeeded in getting through the breakers
safely, but was caught by the undertow and
was drowned. The last to reach there was
John II. Peoples, who was editor of the
american Star, when General Scott took
possession of the City of Mexico. He was
completely unable to stand up. Captain
Connor thereupon directed the remaining
sailor to support Peoples, while the remain
der of the party righted the boat, which had
hoated in.
A large rock rose at one end of the bar
and toward this the party made their way.
one of the party towing the boat by the
painter. Meanwhile Lieutenant Bache be-
came exhausted and asked assistance of
gunwale of the boat, and told the Lieuten-
ant tn take hold of his shoulders. But an
other breaker struck them and caused him
to lose his hold on the boat. Both sank,
and as they rose to the surface, Captain
Conner looked over his shoulder and said:
"Bache, you will drown me as we'll as YOUR
self, if you hold on much longer" The
as the Captain looked around be saw the
unfortunate officers hair floating on the
water as he went down tho last time. One
of the party, named Robinson, managed to
climb the rock, and succeeded in getting
hold of the painter. Captain Conner
OH reaching the rock was completely eX-
hausted, and had not strength enough to
climb to its top, for the weather was
cold as there was snow on the shore; and all
oh Q6 thrnnnh i'm
by the hair of the head and pulled him up,
just in time to prevent his being swept away
by breaker. Two more of the men also
managed to reach the rock, and one was
drowned in the attempt.
The four then got into the boat, and as
the oars had been lost, Captain Conner
pulled off seat with which he steered her
toward the shore. The last breaker that
struck them threw the boat on the beach;
they reached the shore so completely ex-
hausted and chilled that they were unable
to man the boat and pull back for Peoples
and the sailor. At length the sailor, seeing
that he would have to save his own life, let
go of Peoples who thereupon drowned. The
sailor then stripped himself of his clothing
and struck out for the shore. AS he reached
the beach the undertow was carrying him
back, when Captain Conner, summoning his
little remaining strength, dashed into the
water and helped him out. TIE five sur
vivors then walked up the beach as fast as
possible, until they reached little fresh
water creek running into the ocean. There
they bathed and satisfied their thirst and
then continued on until they reached the
schooner.
She proved to be the Paragon, on the
same mission as Captain Connor's vessel.
The schooner was high and dry, having
dragged her anchor and been driven ashore,
but all the passengers were aboard. They
took the shipwrecked men aboard, treated
them kindly and gave them bed. On the
next morning they were none the worse for
their exposure.
The brig Arabian, which was beating up
and down off the Point, was signalled; she
sent boat ashore and took off Captain
Conner and his party, who had ascertained
from the men on the Paragon that Trinity
River, instead of running into the ocean,
emptied into Klamath River. He there
upon returned to San Francisco and dis
missed the party.
Captain Connor did not attempt to re-
cover the whale boat, and during the night
some Indians broke the bow of the boat in
order to obtain nails with which to make
arrow heads. Subsequently party of five,
who were bent on the same mission that had
led Captain Connor's party there, repaired
her and sailed along the shore to find Trim
1ty River, but storm overlook them and
the boat was driven ashore and dashed to
pieces on the rocks; three out of the five
were drowned.
Captain Conner, however, was still deter
mined to reach Trinity River, and in the
following May he organized party at So
noma of forty men with six wagons and six
pack mules. Leaving Sonoma he led his
party to Eel River, but there he found
rough mountainous country ahead with con-
siderable snow and no roads. Thereupon
he concluded to follow down Eel River to
the ocean and find out where he was.
Reaching Humboldt Bay he cut trail
through the redwoods and took his party up
to to Big Bar on the Trinity River. Re-
turning from there, however, he obtained a
tract of woodland and went to work cutting